The invention relates to seats and chairs and particularly to seats having attached writing tables. Examples of prior art chairs which include folding tablet arm structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,197,254; 3,292,972; 3,368,842; 3,479,084; 3,556,558 and 3,567,276. Such chairs are generally used in auditoriums and meeting rooms where, on certain occasions, the seat occupants have need for a writing surface. For example, school auditoriums are often used for examinations or as lecture halls.
In the field of aviation, and particularly in the general aviation field where the same person does both the flying and the navigating, it is usually necessary for the pilot to refer to maps and to write in a log book from time to time. For this purpose, small boards have been developed which include a spring clip for retaining the papers being used. The boards are referred to as kneeboards since they are adapted to be strapped to the pilot's knee. They are somewhat uncomfortable to wear, are quite small, and do not provide much protection for any papers clipped to them when exposed to winds and weather when walking to and from the aircraft. In addition, they cause the material being read or being written to be located further from the pilot's eyes than a conventional writing surface.
In view of the disadvantages of the kneeboards it would appear to be very desirable to provide a writing surface which does not attach to the user but still provides a means to carry papers to and from an aircraft. Although U.S. Pat. No. 310,626 discloses a box-like desk which forms the arm of a chair and which provides a lockable compartment for storage of writing materials, the disclosed desk does not overlie the seat and would thus be quite uncomfortable to use. Furthermore, the disclosed desk is not adapted to be removed from the chair.